1A Girls Regional: Nooksack Heading To Yakima After Taming Grizzlies

The Nooksack Valley girls basketball squad might be a “new” team, but the Pioneers will find themselves in the same old place next week after blasting Hoquiam, 64-42, in the Class 1A state regional on Saturday afternoon, March 1.

That same old place, of course, is the Yakima SunDome, where the Pioneers claimed the state championship the past two years.

With its victory Saturday, the ninth-seeded Pioneers not only avoided elimination, but will be able to defend their title starting with another loser-out contest, this time against Naches Valley, on Wednesday at 2 p.m. The eighth-seeded Rangers lost a heart-breaker to Lynden Christian in another Saturday regional game.

The winner of Wednesday’s game advances to the quarterfinals and the double-elimination portion of the tournament.

And even if returning to the SunDome is old hat, the Pioneers are proud to wear it.

“Any time you go back to Yakima, it’s awesome,” said Nooksack Valley coach Shane Wichers, whose squad improved to 17-8 by eliminating 16th-seeded Hoquiam. “It’s fun to see them find their moment.”

Perhaps most excited are the four returnees from last year’s state championship team, three of whom saw limited minutes playing behind four senior all-stars.

“It’s exciting,” said junior Chayleigh Davis, who has been playing with fellow juniors Grace DeHoog and Payton Bartl since grade school. “It’s our turn to step up and enjoy the moment. We have a new team and things are starting to click. I think we’ll do great.”

If they play in the SunDome as well as they played at Mount Vernon High School, they will do just fine. After Saturday’s game, they could rename the Bulldogs’ gym Payton Place or maybe Graceland. That’s because Bartl and DeHoog used the gym as their own private playground.

Bartl got the Pioneers rolling by hitting four of her five 3-pointers and 15 of her game-high 25 points in the first quarter as Nooksack Valley burst to a 20-8 lead.

“Payton was on fire,” said Wichers. Said Davis of her teammate’s hot shooting: “That’s just what she does.”

Then when the Grizzlies clawed back to within three at halftime, DeHoog took over, scoring 13 of her 19 points and both of her 3-pointers in the second half. The lead swelled to 14 by the end of the third quarter and Hoquiam never threatened the rest of the way.

“We regrouped at halftime and got rolling again,” said Wichers. “We had to respond, and they (the Pioneers) rose to the occasion.”

Davis did her part, running the offense and collecting 9 assists in addition to her 8 points and 4 steals. DeHoog had 6 rebounds and 4 assists, and Bartl had 3 assists. The team’s lone senior, Kate Shintaffer, had a team-high 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and several bruises from diving for loose balls, and sophomore Raegan Burke added 6 points.

Hoquiam finished its season with a 15-9 record.

Nooksack Valley 64, Hoquiam 42

Hoquiam 8 19 8 7—42

Nooksack Valley 20 10 19 15—64

Hoquiam: Avery Brodhead, Mya Standstipher 4, Katlyn Brodhead 7, RenaeJah Burtenshaw 5, Kacee Kruger, Austyn Capoeman 2, Aaliyah Kennedy 12, Nadine Stewart, Piper Stankavich, Sydney Gordon 4, Lexi LaBounty 8.

Nooksack Valley: Lisette Flores, Kate Shintaffer 4, Payton Bartl 25, Chayleigh Davis 8, Peyton Duque 2, Kaitlyn Biondolillo, Natileah Harmon, Raegan Burke 6, Grace DeHoog 19.

CLASS 1A GIRLS DISTRICT 1/2 CROSSOVER

Saturday, Feb. 22

Nooksack Valley 65, Bear Creek 16 (winner to state regionals, loser out)

Lynden Christian 77, Granite Falls 6 (winner to state regionals, loser out)

CLASS 1A GIRLS STATE REGIONALS

Friday, Feb. 28

#4 King’s 59, #5 Annie Wright 37 (both to state tournament)

#2 Bellevue Christian 42, #7 Cashmere 39 (both to state tournament)

#11 Wapato 56, #14 King’s Way Christian 45 (winner to state tournament, loser out)

Saturday, March 1

#9 Nooksack Valley 64, #16 Hoquiam 42 (winner to state tournament, loser out)

#6 Seton Catholic 69, #3 Zillah 65 (both to state tournament)